Anxiety is Contagious-Symptoms of Anxiety in the Terminally Ill Child Affect Long-Term Psychological Well-Being in Bereaved Parents
Anxiety is Contagious-Symptoms of Anxiety in the Terminally Ill Child Affect Long-Term Psychological Well-Being in Bereaved Parents
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DOI：
10.1002/pbc.22418
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发表时间：
2010-05-01
影响因子：
3.2
通讯作者：
Henter, Jan-Inge
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Jalmsell, Li;Kreicbergs, Ulrika;Henter, Jan-Inge
Background. We studied the relation between unrelieved symptoms in terminally ill children and the psychological well-being in the bereaved parents 4-9 years after their loss. Procedure. We contacted parents in Sweden who had lost a child to a malignancy 1992-1997. The parents were asked to assess symptoms affecting their child's well-being during his or her last month of life, and their own current psychological well-being. Results. Altogether 449/561 (80%) eligible parents supplied information on 19 specific symptoms that may occur in children with a malignancy and how each of these symptoms had affected their child's well-being during his or her last month of life (not applicable, none, low, moderate, or severe). These results were linked to questions concerning the parents' self-assessed mental health. Parents whose children were affected by anxiety reported depression (RR 2.0 [1.3-3.0]), anxiety, (RR 1.6 [1.1-2.4]), decreased psychological well-being (RR 1.6 [1.2-2.0]) and decreased quality of life (RR 1.5 [1.2-1.8]) more frequently than parents of children without these symptoms. Parents of children who were affected by disturbed sleep also had increased risk to develop these symptoms; RR 2.0 [1.4-2.9] for depression, 1.8 [1.3-2.5] for anxiety, 1.5 [1.2-1.8] for decreased psychological well-being, and 1.5 [1.3-1.9] for decreased quality of life. Conclusions. Bereaved parents whose children were affected by anxiety or disturbed sleep due to anxiety or pain had an increased risk of long-term psychological morbidity. Reducing psychological complications in seriously ill children may also improve the psychological well-being in bereaved parents. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2010;54:751-757. (c) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
